JOHANNESBURG Jan 31 (Reuters) – South Africa’s trade
account recorded a surplus of 4.7 billion rand ($597.77 million)
in December compared with an 8.0 billion rand deficit in
November, the South African Revenue Service said on Tuesday.
Exports fell by 8.0 percent month-on-month to 63.0 billion
rand in December while imports plunged by 23.8 percent to 58.3
billion rand.
Economists surveyed by Reuters expected a shortfall of 3.0
billion rand for December but the data is volatile and thus hard
to forecast.
SARS said the trade account had a cumulative deficit of 15.1
billion rand for 2011 from a surplus of 4.8 billion rand in
2010.
($1 = 7.8625 South African rand)
(Reporting by Phumza Macanda; Editing by Stella Mapenzauswa)
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